Tool-box.



- I J. SWANZ, TOOL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 14. 1907- I F 6. F ,1 5. 28 7 9 v wmvsss a? 2 INVENTOR 74341. (Bower.

. BY J Q 3! ATTORNEY THE "01ml: PETERS cm, wAsl-lmmmv, u. c.

PATBNTED APR. .7, 1908.

JAMES SWAN, OF SEYMOUR, CONNECTICUT.

TOOL-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April '7, 1908.

Application filed February 14, 1907. Serial No. 357,352.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES SWAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seymour, county of New Haven, State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Tool-Box, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide a box which will carry a dozen tools of assorted sizes; as, for example, chisels or bits, in the smallest possible space, and which shall be strong and durable, as well as neat and attractive in appearance, so as to adapt it equally for exhibition purposes in a store or show-room and for permanent use by a mephanic in storing and transporting his too s.

l/Vith these and other objects in view I have devised the simple and novel tool-box which I will now describe, referring to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and using reference characters to indicate the several parts.

Figure 1 is a perspective illustrating my novel tool-box as in use for exhibition purposes; Fig. 2 a-longitudinal section on an enlarged scale, the tools being indicated by dotted lines; Fig. 3 a transverse section on the line 33 in Fi 2 looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 4 a similar view illustrating a slight variation in a detail of construction; Fig. 5 a detail view illustrating a hinged brace for holding the upper section in the raised position; and Fig. 6 is a detail section on the line 66 in Fig. 4.

My novel box comprises essentially a lower section indicated by 10, an upper section indicated by 11, and a lid indicated by 12. The lid is hinged to the upper section as at 13 and is retained in the closed position by suitable hooks or catches indicated by 14.

In the present instance I have shown ordi-' nary hooks pivoted to the upper section and engaging studs 15 on the edge of the lid. The lower section comprises a bottom 16, a high end 17, a low end 18 and sides 19, the upper or meeting edges of which are inclines indicated by 39, extending from the high end to the low end. prises a bottom 20, a hi h end indicated by 21, a low end indicated y 22, and sides indicated by 23 whose upper edges in the closed position lie parallel with the bottom and lid and whose lower or meeting edges are reverse inclines corresponding with the inclined meeting edges of the lower section. The high end of the upper section is hinged The upper section com-.

to the low end of the lower section as at 24. The sections are secured together in the closed position by means of a suitable hook or catch 14. I have shown an ordinary hook pivoted to the high end of the lower section and engaging a stud 15 on the low end of the upper section. In practice I preferably provide a downwardly extending prong 37 in the low end of the upper section which engages a hole in the high end of the lower section and locks the sections against lateral movement when in the closed position.

In use, the larger tools of the set are placed in the lower section, the ends of the handles lying toward the high end and the ends of the blades-for example, chisels, as indicated in Fig. 2lying toward the low end, the handles and blades of the larger tools of the set practically filling the space so that there will be no appreciable movement of the tools. The smaller tools of the set are placed in the upper section. As the handles of the smaller tools diminish in length, I provide a tapering block 25 at the high end of the upper section against which the ends of the handles rest.

As the blades of the smaller tools are relatively narrower than the handles and do not require the entire width of the section, I preferably provide grooves 26 to receive the blades and preventlateral movement. These grooves may be formed in the bottom of the upper section as in Figs. 1 and 3 and made deepest at the low end of the section and running out upon the bottom of the section, or, if preferred, the bottom of the upper section may be made thinner and a cross-piece 27 placed across it, said cross-piece being provided with grooves 28 to receive the blades of tools as in Figs. 4 and 6. Crosspieces 38 may be provided on the under side of the lid and of the upper section, if required, to rest upon the blades of tools in the closed position to retain them against movement. 29 denotes a chain connected to the lid and to block 25 to retain the lid in the raised position and prevent it from swinging over backward. The upper section is retained in the raised position, as in Fig. 1, by means of a hinged brace comprising members 30 and 31, member 30 being pivoted to the upper section as at 32, member 31 being ing as a stop to retain the members in horizontal alinement, when the upper section is raised, by preventing the members from swinging past the extended position and closing together in the opposite direction. Whether the box is open or closed, the bottom 20 forms a partition between the tools in the two sections; and said bottom .20 serves to support the upper set of tools elevated above the lower set when the box is open, so that both sets are accessible without having to turn the box over.

In use as an exhibition box, the lid is raised as in Fig. 1 and is held against swing-' ing over backward by the chain. The upper section when raised is held in the raised posi tion by the hinged brace through the engagement of the lip with the notch as in Fig.

5, which see in connection with Fig. 1. To close the sections to ether, the members of the brace are simply iolded backward within the lower section, as in Fig. 2. The lid and sections are locked together in the closed position by the engagement of the hooks with the studs.

Having thus described my invention, l claim:

A box to contain sets of tools consisting of upper and lower sections tapering from end to end and hinged together at one end, the hinges connecting the deeper end of the upper section to the shallower end of the lower section, the bottom of the upper section forming an inclined cover for the lower section and having longitudinal grooves formed in its upper surface at one end, a lid hinged to one side of the upper section, means for holding the upper section partly raised, means for holding the lid partly open, and means for securing the lid and upper section in closed position, whereby the box may be utilized open for retaining two sets of tools exposed for exhibition or access, or closed for transportation.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES SWAN.

Witnesses:

A. M. WOOSTER, S. W. ATHERTON. 

